Wild Heart
by natjrrt24
Summary: The boys of the team had challenged Stiles to spend a night in the forest. Totally alone. He is scared when he meets a wolf in the middle of the woods, but he soon learns that Wolf is something quite different from what he was expecting. Fluff, Love, Mates. No Beta, sorry about the mistakes.
1. Chapter 1

**Wild Heart - chapter 1**

"Guys...I'm not sure if this is a good idea." Stiles Stilinski said for the hundredth time since Scott McCall convinced him to doing this.

"Can you stop it, Stiles!" Scott hissed while elbowing him in the ribs. "You're repeating this since you got in the car."

"Oh, sorry," Stiles said sarcastically "I'm repeating myself? Maybe because this is not a good idea!" he said retaliating with a punch on Scott's shoulder.

The two began to argue there on the backseat

"You two, stop it." Jackson Whittemore said from the driver's seat, looking at the two boys through the rearview mirror.

"I knew he couldn't do it." Danny Mahealani said from the passenger seat.

"Of course he can." Scott hissed and turned his attention to Stiles who looked through the window to the woods out there.

What Stiles Stilinski was doing in Beacon Hills Preserve on a Friday night? Easy answer: It was a challenge.

Actually, it was more like a prank. Spending the night in the woods? Seriously? This was not just a bad idea, it was the worst idea ever. He still could not understand how he had let Scott convince him to do this.

All boys of the Lacrosse team had already done it, even Scott, and it was now Stiles' turn. This was a sort of 'baptism' which every boy of the team had to go through. Stiles thought that was just dumb. He could understand why Jackson was doing that, he was a bastard. He could understand why Danny was doing that, he was Jackson's pet. But not Scott, Scott was his friend, his best friend. He could not believe he was agreeing with this bullshit.

"Hey, it's not so bad." Scott said with a smile, trying to assure his friend.

"Yeah Stiles, think of it as the camp we went in eighth grade." Jackson said amused.

"Bugs, poisonous plants, rabid animals ..." Danny said.

"But I have not went to that camp in eighth grade!" Stiles countered somewhat anxious.

"Oops!" The boys who occupied the front seats said.

"You guys are realizing that a storm is coming, aren't you?" Stiles said eagerly. His breathing started to getting fast and Scott realized this.

"Stiles! Calm down! There is no reason to panic."

"But there is this Wolf." Jackson said.

"Wolf?" Stiles said looking from Scott to Jackson "Wolf ? What Wolf? Nobody told me there'd be a wolf here! Wolves are totally not good. Not good at all!"

"Thanks for your support, Jackson." Scott said staring at Jackson who just laughed. He then turned his attention to his friend. "There's no wolf here, Stiles."

"But some people have seen his tracks near the Hale House." Danny said teasingly "A half-eaten deer here, a tree with claw marks there. No need to see the wolf to know he's here."

The Hale House? Stiles vaguely remembered that there was an abandoned house in the woods. A long time forgotten family lived there. He remembered, vaguely, that a tragedy had happened, a fire, many years ago. Stiles was probably still in kindergarten when it happened. Some boys at school said that the house was haunted. Formerly, the bravest students organized trips to the woods, trying to break-in the house, just like in that book Salen's Lot, but nobody had the balls. The Sheriff, Stiles's father, never allowed him to join them.

"We all have done that." Scott told Stiles and saw a flash of lightning followed by a thunder. "These two are assholes and they just want to scare you. Don't listen to them."

"Do you remember the rules?" Danny asked finally turning to look at Stiles with a serious expression. As much as this game was fun, it was serious thing to spend the night alone in the woods and nobody had to get hurt.

Stiles huffed and closed his eyes, trying to remember the rules.

"From dusk to dawn, no cell phone, stay on the trail."

Scott handed him a backpack.

"There's everything you'll need on it. Water, snacks, a sleeping bag and a flashlight." Jackson said seriously. "We'll come back for you in the morning. Be here, right here."

Stiles smiled sarcastically and made an obscene gesture with his finger. Jackson just smiled. He opened the door and got out of the car. In that moment another flash of lightning lit up the night in the forest and another thunder was heard. Stiles opened his survival kit and pulled out the flashlight and lit it. Jackson's car was parked on the dirt road, in front of the entrance of the trail used by campers. That was the trail that led to the Hale House in the heart of Preserve, but it was an old trail, since there was no one living there, there was no need to keep in clean. Before he knew it, Scott was at his side, helping him to adjust the backpack on his shoulders.

"I'm going to get lost." Stiles said defeated.

"No, You will not. If you stay on the trail you'll be fine. You will walk for half an hour then you will reach a cave. It is almost in the middle of the way, there's no way you can miss it. You will spend the night there, totally safe from the rain."

"If I don't survive this night, you can keep my 'The Walking Dead' comic books. Tell my father that I love him and that has ice cream in the freezer. Oh yes, go to my house and delete the browsing history on my laptop. It has some pretty embarrassing things there ..."

"Stiles, shut up." Scott said before hugging Stiles. He pulled away from the boy with brown hair and golden eyes and went back to the car. "Remember, stay on trail."

"Why are you implying that I won't stay on the trail?" Stiles asked intrigued.

"Because I know you." Scott said before entering the car.

Scott waved at Stiles and nodded to Jackson before he start the engine. The car pulled away and soon he was no longer visible. Stiles looked around. He was on a trail in the woods. The trees towered ghostly and there was no lighting in there that was not the lightning and his poor flashlight.

A cold wind blew causing him chills. He really was not dressed for such an occasion. He was wearing his red hoodie, black jeans and (unfortunately) his brand new shoes. Damnit. He couldn't do anything when he was caught by surprise.

Scott had went to Stiles's house that evening, inviting the boy to a sleepover. It was Friday, Stiles loved going to Scott's house at Fridays. He should have realized something was wrong when Scott said that he would not have to drive his Jeep since Jackson would come to pick them. When he got in Jackson's car, everything was already plotted, the backpack was there and Scott spent the next forty minutes from Stiles's house to the Preserve trying to convince him to participate in this trap. And now, instead of being in his home comfortable under his blankets, he was in a forest. Alone. In a forest, alone, in the rain. In a forest, alone, in the rain, with a wolf who might or might not be real or imaginary. Yay! Such a perfect way to spend the weekend.

He heard another thunder and thought better start to move if he wanted to reach the cave before the rain starts falling. He took a deep breath and got in the trail walking fast and lighting the way with his flashlight. The silence of the forest was heavy, being broken only by the sound of twigs breaking under his feet on the ground. It was so dark, it was so quiet, there was not there to distract him from the overwhelming feeling of being alone.

"I walked across an empty land. I Knew the pathway like the back of my hand." He began to sing the first song that came to his head, just to hear the sound of his own voice. "I felt the earth beneath my feet, sat by the river and it made me complete. Oh simple thing, where have you gone? I'm getting old and I need someone to rely on. " He sang and walked through the woods with a flashlight in hand. "So tell me when you're gonna let me in. I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin. I came across a fallen tree I felt the branches of it looking at me ... " He stopped singing abruptly. "Okay, now it's getting weird."

Stiles shook his head and kept moving forward. He was already walking a few minutes when he heard a noise behind him, like leaves rustling. Stiles was startled and turned around, aiming the flashlight toward the noise, but there was nothing there, only trees.

"This is the perfect time to get paranoid." He muttered to himself.

He turned again to keep his search for the shelter. Again, the cold wind blew and the boy winced. He held tight the straps of the backpack on his shoulders and kept walking. Stiles would not admit that his heart was racing. He wanted to be able to ignore the fact that he was in a creepy forest, but he was having a hard time.

He heard the noise behind him again and he turned, only to find nothing there. "I shouldn't have watched all those horror movies." He thought as he turned to walk now with a slight tremor in his hands. "Jason, Freddy, Predator ... Why?" He thought all these things when he saw a figure in the trees. Stiles was paralyzed.

"Shit," he swore softly.

It was a great dark figure, it seemed to be a large animal, at least. He stood there among the trees, a few steps away from Stiles, it was too close. Trying to ignore the creepy dark figure he took a few steps forward. With his peripheral vision he saw the dark figure has moved again. Stiles closed his eyes. "This is not happening, this is not real. This is just in my mind." He thought, trying to convince himself that the dark figure was not real. It was then that he heard the growl. He was a loud-totally creepy growl, and very real one. Stiles felt chills throughout his body, a bad feeling. Fear. "Holy shit!" What kind of animal would growl like that? He realized that the growl was coming from right behind him. He held his breath.

"Shit, shit, shit ..." he hissed.

Stiles heard the growl getting closer, and this time he was already shaking. That was a big animal, perhaps the Wolf Jackson had mentioned, and it was right behind him. Then another thunder rumbled, accompanied by a roar from the creature behind him.

With a yelp (which was totally manly yelp, thank you very much ) Stiles ran off, dropping the flashlight on the ground and ignoring the basic rule of not running from an animal bigger than you. But Stiles did not care, he ran down the trail, stumbling and getting up, like he was in a fucking marathon. He knew that the creature was chasing him, but he had to keep running.

Stiles looked around. He had no chance of surviving if he kept on the trail. He had to find a place to hide. The boy heard another roar, and had no doubt, he left the trail and walked into the forest.

It was even more difficult to run where there were rocks, roots and fallen branches, but the forest was thick and he could hide from whatever it was that was chasing him. However, now he no longer had the flashlight. In the woods the darkness was terrible. He kept moving forward, running and feeling his legs burning. His breathing was irregular and the heavy backpack did not help. Stiles kept running until he had reached a large tree and leaned against it.

"Oh my God." he panted, leaning his back on the tree.

His legs were throbbing, his chest was burning, he could not take another step. Stiles tried to control his breathing, panic now wouldn't be a good idea at all. He closed his eyes and tried to be quiet. He could no longer hear the growl of the creature. Would he had foiled it? Stiles used one hand as a support to stand and thought it was funny that his legs seemed made of jelly. He tried to focus his vision and he could see, there, about five feet from him, the creature that had hunted him. A wolf. The Wolf. He was big, very big, his fur was black, or maybe it was just the darkness. He looked in the eyes of the wolf and two bright green eyes looked back to him. He did not growl, he was just standing there looking at Stiles.

"Hi wolfy!" Stiles said with trembling voice (entirely because of the effort of the race and not because of the fear he felt). "Cute wolfy" He said taking a step back."Good wolfy..."

The wolf took a step toward Stiles and this time, Stiles could hear the growl, but it was a different growl, it was like if he was ... purring? Kinda of making fun of him before devouring him? Nevertheless, Stiles kept taking steps backwards, trying to get away from the big-creepy wolf in front of him. Stiles took another step back and didn't saw that there was a sizable root behind him and he snagged his foot on the root and fell on his back, hitting his head on a rock. Stiles have not blacked out immediately, he felt the sharp pain and his body went limp, then he became dizzy, like when you spin too fast, but it was a stronger feeling, it was as if he felt it all over his body. He tried to raise a hand, but it wouldn't obey him. He looked up and everything was black, and felt cold. All he could think was that he was there, unable to move and that the wolf would kill him and eat him and he couldn't do nothing to defend himself. He tried to scream, but he couldn't open his mouth, or if he could, his voice did not leave it. And why would he scream? Nobody would listen. He was alone in the forest and no one would find him.

He heard the sound of footsteps, human footsteps. Stiles began to laugh, feeling hot tears running down his eyes at the same time. That was pretty cool. He would die and he was hallucinating. The footsteps were getting closer and he tried to move again, with no success. He closed his eyes for a second and when he opened it again, there was a man leaning over him. The man had black hair and a stubble. His eyes were green and, God, he was gorgeous. Stiles laughed again. He would die, and he was hallucinating, who would say, hallucinating with a guy. Not with Lydia, no, with a guy.

He felt the man leaning over and he could feel his hot breath close to his neck, like if this guy was sniffing him, but he hadn't much time to find this weird because his vision went blurry and he closed his eyes, falling into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wild Heart – Chapter 2**

Derek was resting peacefully in a clearing near a stream. He was quiet, just feeling the breeze in his fur. He heard a thunder far away and lowered his ears. He would have to return to his lair soon, there was a storm coming on. The wind started to blew stronger and the wolf couldn't help to sniff the wind. He liked to sniff the wind at times like this, before a storm. The wind brought all the scents of the woods and it was comforting somehow. Trees, grass, squirrels, rain and ... human. Human? He straightened and sniffed the air again to make sure that his nose was not fooling him.

That was the distinctive smell of a human: sweat, soap, clothes softener, salt and all the other things that composed the human scent, a scent which Derek hated. It was a male, he could smell the musky, different from females whom had floral smell. There was a note of something else on that smell, though, something that Derek could not put a finger on what it was. But it honestly didn't matter, he was a human anyway, therefore, he was dangerous. Immediately, the fur on his back raised and he started growling because humans could only mean one thing: threat. The wolf inside of him rose in his paws while a thunder rumbled. He bared his fangs.

"Human. Threat. Get rid of him." His wolf told him.

Derek was not human. He had never been.

He vaguely remembered a day when he have been something who looked like one, but that was a long time ago, before the Fire. Humans were worthless, humans were cruel, even more cruel than the monster that was Derek, but he could do nothing about it because it was in his blood to be a monster. He was born more wolf than human, even for someone of his kind.

He ran quickly through the forest, searching, chasing the human who dared to break into his territory. He was used to the smell of humans on Preserve during the day, but they were harmless childrens in most. However, when he smelled it at night, this could only mean one thing: Hunters.

The smell was coming from the old trial, the human was coming towards the House, so he was probably a hunter. It has been a while since they came to disturb him in his territory and he thought he would be free of this plague, but no. They always found him.

Derek had learned long ago that humans were menacing, that humans had only the desire to do harm to his kind and they would kill him if they had a chance. He felt in his own skin the harm that humans could cause. His family, his pack, dead. All of them dead but him. All because he had trusted a human. He would never make that mistake again.

He would get rid of the human.

It did not take long for him to reach the trail, after all, he knew all the forest paths and shortcuts like the back of his hand. Following the smell was not too difficult, since it was a smell that stood out in the woods when so few people dared to enter in his territory. As he approached, he could notice the hint of that something else on the human's smell getting stronger, but he had no idea what it was yet. Stealthily he approached and hid among the trees, lurking. Soon the human showed himself in his field of vision, walking on the trail. He wore a red hoodie and had a flashlight in his hand. Low guard, unprepared, pathetic. He was ... he was singing ? If he was a Hunter, he should have learned a few things about prudence before entering the territory of a predator. Hunters should be silent, they should be like ghosts, get into the forest without being noticed to make their traps, those filth pieces made with wolfsbane, made to hurt and - with any luck - to kill. Or maybe that was his intention, maybe he wanted to lure him to kill him face to face. It had happened before. Not that it would work for the stupid human, but Derek prefered when the hunters gave up of that low blow to endure a 'fair' fight. That was better than being stuck in a trap in the woods and bleed to death.

He sniffed the air and did not noticed other human than that one. He was alone. Ah, this human should find himself so strong, he should find himself so special to come alone into the forest. Did he really thought he could handle it?

He moved closer and the human noticed his presence, staying still.

Derek growled. He came out of the trees and approached the human from behind, watching as he was paralyzed by fear. Through this distance, he could hear the human's heart hammering inside his chest and he could smell his fear. The Hunter was terrified. He was pleased with that, but now that Derek was this close to the human, the smell that was intriguing him was more poignant. But he still could not identify what it was like, he only knew that now that he was close to the human, his scent was... good.

"Wait, his scent, he is..." The wolf inside him said.

No. He was wrong. He hated the smell of humans. Humans brought death and destruction to its kind. He spent all these years fearing and hating that smell, learning to identify it so he could flight or fight, however, the scent coming from this boy made him feel weird.

He shook his head. That could not be possible. That should be a ruse to lure him. He definitely had to get rid of the human. To emphasize that he was not kidding, Derek growled, trying to look as menacing as possible and it was then that the boy ran away. Wait a minute, he ran away? Shouldn't he try to attack him? Strange.

But Derek did not have time to be pondering on this, he had to reach the human. He began to chase him through the woods, listening for any sound that would indicate that there were other people there. There weren't, the human was really alone. He chased him until he saw the hunter pathetically hiding behind a tree. "For Gods sake !" Derek snorted. "As I couldn't tell he's there. What kind of training did he had?". Patiently he waited until the hunter came out of his hiding place and only then Derek took a good look at his face and all his menacing pose melted like sugar in a pan.

"He is ..." his wolf tried to say but Derek stopped him.

Damn, he was a kid! A fucking kid! Derek could see his big brown eyes, wide frightened eyes. He should have something between sixteen and seventeen years old, his face was still smooth. He must have never shaved his face. The hunters were recruiting children now? He could smell his fear. He had bare hands, no weapons, he could only be a bait. Derek felt so angry. Then the most unexpected thing happened. He heard the boy's heart skip a beat to beat in the same rhythm as his.

"He is ..." Derek sniffed the air again. "He is ..." Derek heard his wolf start to purr and, who would say, he begun to purring along with it. He did not shut his wolf when it said what he was trying to say from the begining.

"He's my mate."

He saw the boy say something, but he heard nothing, he was still in shock with the realization that he just had. This could not be possible. That was not right. Suddenly he felt the rage be drained of him. Suddenly he felt no desire to hurt him the way he felt a few minutes ago. He felt something totally different. He felt calm, he felt something inside him, he felt warm and ... complete, as as though there was a part of him that was missing before, and he was complete now.

He saw the boy take a step back, snapping him out of his reverie. His wolf whimpered. No, he could not run away now, not yet. Derek stepped forward to stop him from running away, but then he remembered he was in his wolf form, and that should probably be scaring the hell out of him now. He took another step forward and saw the boy take another step back. 'Damn!'

He had no idea what he supposed do now, he was totally confused, the scent of the boy was confusing him. If he was in his human form now, he would be with a outstretched hand towards him, with a stupid puppy face pleading 'don't go !'.

The boy looked absolutely scared and he wanted to do something to soothe him. It was then when he saw the boy stumble on a root and fall.

"No." his wolf said. "Something's wrong, he's not moving."

Derek smelled blood. The blood of his mate. "No. No. No." He had to do something. Derek had only a second to decide. He focused on the shifting for a few seconds and the fur, the claws and the fangs were not there anymore, he stood on two legs, swaying a little because of the lack of use. He leaned against a tree for a moment to regain his balance and stepped toward the boy. He walked on two legs for the first time in a long time. He was naked, of course, wolves do not wear clothes, and he could see that his body was quite different from the body that he had before choosing to live in his wolf form full time. He was just a teenager at the time. Now he could see how his shoulders were broad, he was taller and his body looked much more muscular than the body of a teenage boy. He ran a hand across his face and felt the stubble on his jaw. He mused he would have a fright if he saw himself in the mirror.

Putting these thoughts aside, he had to focus on the fallen boy in front of him. He approached the boy and knelt beside him. He leaned over him and saw that he had opened his eyes and for a moment the two stared at each other. For a moment Derek studied the delicate lines of the boy's face. He was beautiful, with brown eyes and pale skin. He couldn't help it, it was something totally connected to his instinct. He leaned over on top of him, his nose almost touching the skin of the boy's neck, and Derek inhaled. He almost groaned. There was no doubt, that kid was really his mate. At that moment Derek felt a wave of protectiveness hit him.

"Take care of him, protect him, take him to somewhere safe. Protect him, protect the mate. "

Derek pulled away just enough to look again at the boy's eyes, but they were closed. He gently held his head and felt his hands get wet. The boy had hit his head on a stone and the cut bled. Even more carefully, he settled the boy's head on his bare chest. He held him and lifted him off the ground, carrying him bridal style through the forest. There was a safe place where he could take him and Derek just hoped to get there before the rain.


	3. Chapter 3

**Wild Heart – Chapter 3**

Derek was born more wolf than human. His instincts and his ferocity were alarming (actually, it was a euphemism for 'worrying') especially during his puberty. He could shift whenever he wanted, it was never a problem, but he always preferred to spend his time as a wolf than walking on two legs. When he was a child, his mother and siblings always said he was a beautiful puppy, and so he came to spend weeks without returning to his human form. It was nicer to be a puppy all the time. It was fun.

But then he started to grow and his wild side became worse. He had no control, not like his brothers, not like Laura. In every full moon there was a disaster waiting to happen.

Every time they took Derek to the city, something wrong happened. He had no sense of his own power and always ended up scaring someone or breaking something. More than once his siblings had to give lame excuses to explain the odd things that happened whenever Derek Hale was around. When the time came, Derek's parents came to the conclusion that he could no longer attend to school like a normal kid. He could not get along with other children, it could be dangerous for him and especially for them.

He was sad at first. Derek really wanted to go to school with his brothers and sisters, he wanted to be a good boy and be able to behave, but he had no control. It was not his fault.

Laura began home schooling him. She was the one who Derek would listen when he was in bad mood, she was the only one that could more or less control him and convince him to return to his human form. But that was until she show up.

Kate Argent.

Derek was eighteen when he met her. She seduced him, she deceived him, she betrayed him. She was a Hunter. She pretended that she loved him, that she understood him. For the first time in his life he thought he could be normal. She made him believe he wasn't a monster. Derek had wanted it so bad, someone to tell him the words that Kate had told him. He was fooled by her, a human. While he was intoxicated by what he thought was love, his family was being burned alive.

Only he and Laura survived unharmed because they were not in the house at the moment of the fire. They and ... Peter, that in the end... well, Peter was also dead by now. That didn't matter anymore.

Derek was crazy. Guilt and hatred devoured him like a disease. He hunted Kate, and he would have hunted her to the ends of the earth if it was needed. He killed her. He avenged his pack, but that would not bring them back nor would diminish the pain in his heart. It was then that he decided to shift and embrace the beast he was.

The pain in Derek was too big and he could not accept the fact that he had brought death to his pack. He went to the deeps of the forest and tried to forget what was like to be a human.

However, Laura was always there. She could not stay in that house in ruins, so she rented a loft in the city, but every day she came to the Preserve to talk to Derek. Laura tried to make him shift back to his human form, but all her efforts were in vain. She tempted him bringing food he could only open with opposable thumbs, nice clothes she insisted that he had to wear, but Derek just ignored her. He did not deserve Laura and her love. He saw that she didn't hate him for what had happened and he couldn't understand why. It would be better if he had died in the fire. But then, Laura died and...

He was alone then, a wolf without a pack, condemned to live the rest of his days in solitude and agony.

But he would not think about Laura and what had happened to her a year ago. Derek had to take care of his mate now, but he was completely lost. He had no idea how to deal with humans, especially a wounded human.

Carefully, he carried the boy through the forest. He could not run, he was afraid that any sudden movement could hurt him even more, but he walked fast and with purpose toward the shelter. All the time Derek was aware of the breathing and the heartbeat of the boy, happy to note that both were strong. However his wound was in the head, and he was unconscious, and even though Derek was a wild creature he knew it was not a good sign. The burned house was not far away and it was there that Derek was taking his unconscious mate.

One day that had been a very beautiful house, two story, a porch, windows with white curtains, comfortable rooms full of laughter, but now everything were ashes and the smell of burnt wood, smoke and memories was a scent he hated and loved at the same time. He normally avoided to get back into that house, choosing to sleep in clearings or in a cave, but sometimes he needed to get back to that place because it was the only home he had known. Moreover, his mate needed a safe place to spend the night. Not that a ramshackle burnt house was safe, but it was still better than a cave.

He walked around the house reaching to the back door, that door was always ajar for Derek to enter whenever he wanted. Derek opened the door with his shoulder and carefully stepped inside, holding the boy tight against his chest. The moment he set foot inside the house, the rain started pouring outside.

He took the boy to the living room downstairs. He didn't want to take him upstairs because the ceiling had fallen in some places and he definitely didn't trust that stairs. The living room that once was so warm now was depressing. He remembered, he could see his father sitting in his armchair reading a book, his sisters on the couch painting their nails, his brother sitting on the floor doing his homework. All so familiar and yet so distant. Everything was black and smoke and vanished in thin air.

In the middle of the room there was a pile of clothes thrown haphazardly, the clothes that Laura had brought him over the years and for some reason - even though he refused to return to his human form to use them - she never took back. Derek gently laid the boy on the pile of clothes, cause that was the closest he had to a mattress or something soft to lie someone hurt. Derek noted that he was not comfortable because of the backpack still attached to his shoulders. Shifting just his hand, Derek used his claws to cut the straps of the backpack so that his mate could rest more comfortably. He threw the backpack aside and looked at the boy.

He was so young. He was a pup. What the hell was he doing in the forest alone? Again, the thought that the boy could be a hunter hit him, causing him to pull away from the kid and stand up, looking away from the boy. Derek began to pacing in the living room. He was his mate, he had no doubt of it, but what were the chances of his mate, his soulmate, the one whom he had waited his whole life without knowing it, was also a hunter? Derek was so unlucky that he didn't doubt that fate would play with him like that. That would be ironic, really. Derek looked again at the boy who began to stir and groan. The wave of protectiveness hit him again and all the suspicion he had were blurred by the extreme eagerness to protect and care.

Without thinking twice, Derek knelt beside the boy and held his head. He turned him aside to look at the wound and saw that the wound was not bleeding anymore and it was not very deep, but it was enough to knock him out. If the kid was a wolf, Derek would just lick the wound to clean it, but the boy was human. He looked at the bag and reluctantly turned away from the boy. If he was carrying a backpack, he might have something there that Derek could use to clean the wound.

Derek was nothing gentle while opening the backpack, he was so impatient. Actually he tore it in pieces. A few packets of 'Pop Tarts' fell on the floor and Derek was not sure if it was food, a sleeping bag also fell and - thank God - two bottles of water.

Derek grabbed one of the bottles of water and approached his mate again. He knelt next to the boy and turned him, making him lay on his side, so that the boy was with his back to Derek. Carefully he lifted the boy's head and he brought him close, so that the boy would use Derek's lap as a pillow. He searched in the pile of clothes for the cleanest one and ripped it to shreds. He soaked a peice with clean water from bottle and began to clean the wound.

"Nnnnn" the boy muttered, but he did not seem to be awake.

"Sshhh" That was all Derek said.

When Derek thought the wound was clean enough, he grabbed another piece of the shirt he had torn and wrapped around the boy's head, covering the wound. The bottle was still half full and Derek thought it best to try to make the boy drink a little. He held the head of his mate carefully and approached the bottle to his lips. He used his thumb - thank God for opposable thumbs - and parted the boy's lips (soft pink lips) and poured a little water. The boy drank two sips before he start coughing. Derek put the bottle aside, making a mental note to try to make him drink some more later.

The rain was pouring outside. Every few minutes the sky was brightened and a thunder followed it. Derek held his mate tight against his chest and rocked him back and forth. The boy in his arms was so helpless, so fragile. Suddenly a fear came upon him. what if his wound was more serious than it seemed? What he did not wake up? what if ...

He would not lose his mate. He would take care of him and keep him safe.

"Wake up, please, wake up." Derek whispered in silence.


	4. Chapter 4

**Wild Heart – Chapter 4**

_Stiles was walking in the woods of Beacon Hills Preserve. He could see the trees in the dim light, he could feel the leaves and twigs breaking beneath his feet as he walked and there was something very wrong about it, because he knew that he shouldn't be in the forest, mainly not at night, alone and in the rain. He knew there was rain because he could hear the noise of the thunder and feel his hair getting wet. He looked around, though it was night, he could see the shape of the trees very well, but it did not eased the feeling that he was lost. Oh, his dad wouldn't like that, he wouldn't like that at all. Only Scott could have convinced him to come to the forest, that bastard. He would kill Scott as soon as he found him._

_"Scott!" He called out to his friend and all he heard in response was the sound of a grig nearby. "Scott!" He called again, still having no answer._

_Stiles did not know how long he had been walking aimlessly in the forest, it seemed it has been an eternity because his ankle hurt like hell. Had he sprained his ankle without realized it ? Stiles stopped walking. Scott was so screwed._

_Tired, Stiles sat on the ground over the leaves. He wasn't giving a damn if his clothes would get dirty. He was tired, lost, hurt and he wanted to rest. It was then when he heard right ahead the sound of rustling leaves. He looked ahead and saw a dark figure among the trees._

_Stiles felt the blood freeze in his veins. There was something there in the woods, something non-human, something dangerous. The boy knew he had to move, he knew he had to get his ass off the ground and run away as if he were in a fucking marathon, but he just couldn't move. He was paralyzed by the fear. When he realized, the dark figure was coming towards him, Stiles tried to open his mouth to scream for help, but no sound came from his mouth. He couldn't do anything but stand there like an idiot, waiting for whatever that was to approaching him and kill him._

_When the dark figure came out from behind the trees, the boy could see that the creature was a wolf, a huge black wolf with bright green eyes. Stiles could feel his heart racing inside his chest as the scary creature approached._

_"I'm going to die, now I'm really going to die! Man, I never went to Disneyland, I never gave Scott's shirt back to him, I never told Lydia that I have a crush on her since kindergarten. I never hit Jackson in the face." Funny are the things we think when we are about to die."My dad, damn, my dad will be pissed!" Stiles took a deep breath. "Well, since he'll rip my guts, I don't want to see it." he said and closed his eyes._

_He stood there with his eyes shut, waiting for the pain that never came. After a while in which nothing happened, Stiles risked opening one eye and saw that the wolf was sitting on its hind legs, watching him. Stiles opened both his eyes and stared back at the wolf. The wolf was not growling, nor seemed to want to harm him, he just looked at Stiles with those bright green eyes, too human to be normal. Stiles dared to say that he could see an expression on the face of the animal, it was like the wolf was frowning. That was ridiculous, Stiles knew that wolves, dogs or whatever it was could not frown. But then, that wolf was everything but normal._

_Then, the wolf approached Stiles, pressing his muzzle into the boy's neck. The wolf then licked Stiles jaw and, strangely enough, he no longer felt afraid. The wolf came closer and curled around Stiles, resting his huge head on his lap, wrapping his tail around Stiles waist in a protective-wolfy hug. Stiles found it comforting somehow. Whatever were the dangers he could find in that forest, that wolf was not one of them, at least not for Stiles._

Stiles opened his eyes, blinking a few times. He was lying on his side in the dark. He could hear the sound of the rain falling somewhere far away. He shivered and reached out to grab his blanket to cover himself and frowned when didn't found it. Stiles raised his head slightly to search for the blanket that had probably fallen from his bed when a horrible pain hit his head like a baseball bat. It was as if his head were about to explode. He groaned, feeling tears come to his eyes. His ankle was also hurting like hell and all this pain made him dizzy. He tried to curl into a ball, but there was something stopping him from moving. Stiles reached in the dark and touched a strong arm that was carefuly settled around his waist. As if it wasn't enough, he felt a strong chest pressed against his back. Stiles panicked. The boy felt his heart pounding in his chest. He remembered that he was in the forest, but not much else, his mind was blurred because of the pain and dizziness. Had something bad happened? Like, something really really bad? He heard the man behind him making a very strange sound, like a growl, but it was a low growl. More than listening, Stiles felt the growl vibrating in his back, since his back was pressed against the man's chest, and it only made him become more desperate.

"Get off me!" Stiles said desperately, but his voice sounded strange as if his tongue was numb. There was also a bitter taste in his mouth. He tried to struggle, but the arms holding him were strong and held in place, moreover, any move he made sent a wave of pain that made him whimper.

Stiles didn't need to be 100% awake to know that waking up sore and cuddling with a stranger was not a good thing. God, what was going on?

"Please, get off me!"

Then he felt gentle fingers touching his neck and the pain suddenly was gone. Stiles still struggled for a while, and the fingers gave room for lips which were brushing Stiles earlobe ever so slightly.

"Please... don't ..."

"Don't move. You're hurt." The man said hoarsely but soothing. "I'll keep you safe."

Stiles felt the man nuzzling his neck and tightening his hold around him, bringing him closer. Stiles felt panic fade away gradually as the man held him firmly in his grasp and continued to growl softly, as if he was purring. Just like the wolf in his dream. And just like in the dream, Stiles could felt himself calming down. There was no more pain, no more fear, only the warmth of that stranger body against his. Stiles wished he could find this weird, deep down inside he was finding it pretty weird. There was a part in the back of his brain - the wise part, which he rarely listened, by the way - that was screaming, waving and jumping, trying to draw his attention to the fact that Stiles could be a potential victim of kidnapping and rape, the man, - whom Stiles had not seen the face yet, but pictured as if having green eyes - he could be a psychopath. And he was growling! For the love of God, that wasn't normal.

But, there was another part of his brain, - probably the damaged part - and it was telling him that he was safe. He felt safe. Stiles fought to stay awake, but the vibrating rumble was like a pleasant white noise that gradually was driving him to slumber again. Stiles gave up fighting and relaxed in those arms. His eyelids were so heavy, he would just close his eyes for a minute, just a minute ...

The dream that Stiles had after falling asleep in the arms of the stranger was not as bizarre as the first, it was actually a very simple and pleasant dream, starting with him and his father eating dinner and talking, then the dream turned into Stiles and Scott playing in the yard. Stiles woke a second time that night, his dizziness was worse than it was before, however he was still fortunately free of pain. He felt someone holding his head gently and pouring a little water into his mouth. Stiles was thirsty, so he drank the water without protest. The person laid him down again and he felt those warm arms wrapping around him again. He fell in sleep almost instantly.

The third time he woke, Stiles was not feeling so dizzy. He reluctantly opened his eyes and saw that it was already morning. The first thing he noticed when his eyes came into focus was that he was in a house, probably in the living room. He stirred and realized that there was no arm holding him still. He sat and the room spun for a minute before everything went quiet again. He looked down where he was lying and saw that he had been lying in a pile of clothes. He looked around. There was no one there beside him, he was alone. Everything seemed destroyed and depressing. The walls were black and the smell of burnt wood was poignant. Where was he?

That really wasn't a good time for his head to start to hurt again. It was a throbbing pain behind his head. He brought his hand to the point where the pain was coming from and noticed that there was a bandage there. Stiles frowned and tried not to panic again. One leg of his trousers were torn and his ankle was wrapped in bandage too. He tried to move his toes and managed to do it without too much pain, so he assumed that his ankle was only sprained and not broken.

"Facts, Stiles, cling to the facts." He muttered to himself.

Fact 1 : He was hurt.

Fact 2 : He could smell the dirt, leaves and pine, then he was in the Preserve.

Fact 3 : Someone was taking care of him, he did not know who or why, but they were taking care of him.

Fact 4: That house was burned, so he could only assume he was in the Hale House, in the middle of the Preserve.

In that moment, all the memories from last night came back. He remembered the challenge, the stupid challenge of having to spend the night in the woods. He remembered walking alone through the woods and be chased by a huge freaking wolf. He fell. He hit his head and then ...

"You should be resting." Stiles heard a deep voice say behind him.

Startled, Stiles tried to turn around to see where the voice came from and this really was not a good idea, his head was spinning again. He whimpered hiding his face in his hands. He did not hear the footsteps approaching him and he jumped when he felt fingers touching his neck and rubbing small soothing circles. Once more, suddenly his pain was gone. The stranger was there, the same stranger who had been with him all night and he said nothing, just kept his hand on his neck. Stiles looked up, he wanted to see who was this person who had probably saved his life.

He was startled to see the man kneeling in front of him invading his personal space, his face too close it could have been rude. He remembered those green eyes, that angular face, those sharp cheekbones, his stubble. Stiles couldn't stop to look at the man. He wore jeans and a black 'V' neck t-shirt. (Derek had dressed before the boy wakes up, thinking he'd be bothered to cuddling with a naked man) and wow, the guy was ... wow.

He was the handsome guy from his hallucination, that is, he was not a hallucination after all. The stranger was frowning, obviously concerned with Stiles.

"What is your name?" The man asked seriously still with his hand on his neck.

"Stiles. Uh, S-Stiles Stilinski" the boy stammered, feeling a bit puzzled with this intrusion of his personal space.

He saw the man musing for a minute and he frowned deeper.

"Stilinski? The Sheriff..."

"Yeah, he's my Dad." He saw the man's face soften a little and Stiles didn't know why.

They stared at each other for an uncomfortable amount of seconds until Stiles cleared his throat and looked away. The stranger took it as a clue to pull away and he did, standing up and walking away from Stiles, heading to the other side of the room.

"And who are you?" Stiles asked curiously, after all it was fair enough that he knew the man's name.

"I..." He hesitated, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "My name is Derek." there was something in his tone that Stiles found strange, then - since the situation was not embarrassing enough - Derek said: "You should rest." He walked across the room followed by Stiles' eyes.

"No, man, I gotta go. My friends are waiting for me at the trial."

Stiles made a move to get up and before he knew it he heard a growl and there was a hand on his shoulder - a little less gentle this time - preventing him from getting up. Stiles looked up and saw Derek. How did he approached Stiles so fast if he was already on the other side of the room? Besides, ouch! Derek's hand was strong. His astonishment must have seemed obvious because Derek took his hand from Stiles' shoulder immediately and walked away a few steps. The expression on his face was a mixture of feelings and Stiles could not decide which one he should take into account. Anger, fear, confusion, and above all these, regret.

"Rest". Derek said with a heavy tone leaving no room for discussion.

He gave him his the packet of 'Pop Tarts' that was in Stiles' backpack and walked away, disappearing in some room of the house before Stiles could protest.

"Oh, god, this is bad."

9


	5. Chapter 5

**Wild Heart – Chapter 5**

Stiles was still feeling dizzy, but after eating the Pop Tarts and drinking some water he was feeling better.

He was not in pain, somehow he was not in pain. He realized - Stiles was not stupid - that his pain had gone when that guy, Derek, had touched him. Stiles had no idea how he did it, he just knew it was weird. But then, what wasn't weird in this story?

To begin with, last night he had been chased down the forest by the Big Bad Wolf, and when he woke up this morning he was lying on a pile of clothes in the living room - mind you - of the scariest house of the city. As if all this were not enough, there was this totally creepy guy, although beautiful, who he cuddled with last night.

Not that he was complaining about the cuddle itself, after all, Stiles was a teenager seeking for human contact. The problem here was that Stiles had a sneaking suspicion that Derek was not exactly human.

Why?

Well, let's start talking about Derek's eyes. Both his and that wolf's eyes were the same. Also, the speed which Derek crossed the room to keep him from getting up. And there was that growl. People don't growl, no matter how pissed they are. Stiles did not want to start making assumptions, but the holes in the shoulder of his hoodie were not there before Derek have grabbed his shoulder hard enough to make him sit.

And his hallucination, which proved to be not a hallucination after all. Derek had been in the woods with him, and Stiles did not recall having seen he coming, but then he was too worried about not being eaten by that wolf. Once again his thoughts led to that wolf and his disturbing resemblance to Derek. God, they even snarled the same. Wait ... what if...

No. No, that was crazy, there is no such thing like... No. He must have hit his head too hard, that's right, he had a concussion. His brain could only be swollen for him to even consider the idea that Derek were a kind of...

No. It was definitely a concussion.

After accepting his presumable brain injury, he had to face another little problem now. He had to get out of that place. Like, right now. As gorgeous as Derek could be he was far too creepy. One does not catch unconscious teens in the forest and brings home to look after like a stray puppy. No way. He was grateful for the help and everything, but he had to return to his home, his father should be worried.

Derek was in the burnt kitchen - at least in what was left of the kitchen. He had his arms folded, hip leaning against the sink. Derek could still see the look on Stiles' face when he had held his shoulder. Derek heard when he heartbeat quickened and his face was a mixture of feelings: awe, surprise and a hint of fear. That made him feel a knot in the pit of the stomach, because, even though if this fear has been there just for a second, it had been there. And it had been Derek who caused it. It went against all his new instincts in protect Stiles. That's why he stormed out of the living room like that, leaving the boy alone. Derek needed to distance himself from the boy for a second, he needed to think, and he could not do it close to him.

Oh God, he was already starting on the wrong foot.

But he could smell Stiles who was still in the living room and for the first time in a long time Derek felt good, light, calm, like his mother told him he would feel when he'd finally found his mate. All he wanted to do in that moment was to return to the living room and bury his nose in the boy's neck and sniff, he wanted to dive and drown in that scent and mark him with his own. His wolf whimpered wanting to do just that, but Derek did not want to get Stiles even more scared than he already was.

On the other hand, it was a weird feeling to notice other smell in the house that wasn't burnt wood, and it was inevitable to remember the time when the house was filled with smells, colors and life, before it became this gray cold mausoleum. Derek closed his eyes and listened. From where he was in the kitchen he could hear Stiles' heartbeat, loud and strong. He could even hear his breathing. There was life in that house again, right there, just a room away.

Derek could not deny that he was now a little lost. Last night had been filled with fear and apprehension, Derek prayed to any supernatural entity that could listen. His mate - his incredibly young, beautiful and oblivious mate - he prayed for he to opened his eyes again, but now that he was awake Derek was in a dilemma.

How should he break the news to his absurdly human mate?

_'Hey, Stiles, I don't want to alarm you, but there is a big black furry Wolf in these woods, and it may or may not be developing a sudden obsession towards you. No, no, it doesn't wants to kill you, basically what it wants is... kind of... have you, and rip the throat of any living thing who dares to approach you because you smell really great. And this wolf may or may not be me. Why? You see, I have this little problem called lycanthropy... Yes, I'm a werewolf and you're my mate, kind of, for life. What do you think about that? Oh god, please stop screaming!'_

Nope. Bad idea, Derek.

It was then that Derek heard a crash of something falling on the floor and Stiles heart beating just quickened. Derek sniffed the air and noticed stress in his mate's scent. Stiles was in pain.

In a blink, Derek was walking into the living room and when he got there, he saw Stiles fallen in the middle of the living room, halfway to the door, holding his ankle like a soccer player who had been injured.

Derek frowned and growled. He approached the boy who tried to crawl away from the approaching werewolf, but Derek knelt near him, grabbed Stiles by his knee, mindful not to hurt him, and pulled him close.

"What happened?" Derek asked alarmed.

"I tried to walk to the door and i fell." Stiles replied hissing.

"I told you to rest!" Derek said sharply. He was pretty rude when he was nervous and seeing his mate in pain was making him very, very nervous.

"And I told you I can not stay!" Stiles countered, however his voice was cracked by the pain he felt in his ankle. "Look man, I appreciate your help, really. God knows what could have happened if you had not brought me here, but I have to go." Derek shuddered when he pictured this image in his head, what could have happened if his mate had remained in the middle of the woods, wounded and vulnerable. "My father must be mobilizing a search party right now and my friends, if my father hadn't killed them yet, must be worried sick."

Derek frowned deeply, if that was possible.

"You're in no condition to walk, if you didn't realize it yet." He said

"I'm sorry, it wasn't in my plans to get myself hurt."

"Perhaps you wouldn't had been hurt if you had been more careful where you walk." Derek hissed and Stiles was silent. "And what the hell were you doing alone here in the Preserve?" Derek snapped.

"It was a challenge. Spending the night in the forest. I didn't want to come, but they kind of have left no room for discussion." Stiles said and lowered his head. The reason was stupid and he knew it, he could have died because of this stupid prank.

Derek then noticed how young and naive this kid was.

"You have to be more careful." Derek said less harshly, almost pleading. "There are dangerous things in these woods." He said not looking at Stiles.

A heavy uncomfortable silence filled the place. Derek did not really know how to act in a situation like this, then he did what was less complicated.

"Are you in pain?" He asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Stiles just nodded. Carefully, Derek lifted Stiles off the floor as the boy weighed nothing and gently placed him sitting on the pile of clothes again. Soon his hands were in Stiles' ankle, and just as he had done before, he touched the skin lightly and drained his pain. When Derek looked again at the boy's face, the boy was shocked, actually, impressed would be a more accurate word.

"Thank you." Stiles said with a wide smile "That was pretty cool. Are you a X-men or something?"

Derek snorted but his lips curved in something that looked like a smile, a little bit weird for lack of use, but it was there. Stiles was the first person in years to make Derek Hale smile.

"What are you, then?" Stiles said suddenly and the small smile that had appeared on Derek's face was gone, but Stiles kept going. "You're not like me, are you? I mean, you're not ..." Stiles did not know how to put it into words.

"Human?" Derek said for him and Stiles could see his jaw clenching. What could Derek say? How could he deny it whether he had made a show of his superhuman abilities? Derek didn't want to lie. Lies put him where he was now, the lies that were told to him with a sweet voice. So ... "No. I'm not."

Derek braced himself for the look of panic, for the racing heart, for the yelling and for the eventual smell of fear that would come from the boy in front of him, but nothing happened. Stiles had an apprehensive look, but it didn't look like he would have a panic attack right now, and if he knew Stiles, he would know that it meant something.

"So ..." Stiles said forcing a smile. "How does this work?"

"It's complicated." Derek answered truthfully, because there was nothing more complicated than his current situation.

Stiles bit his lower lip and seemed to think. Derek could not take his eyes of the boy's lips and could not help a low growl to scape his throat.

"You're that wolf, aren't you?" Stiles asked knowing the answer. "You're a Werewolf."

Derek just nodded.

"Are you going to hurt me?" Stiles said with only a hint of concern in his voice.

Derek almost whimpered. How could he hurt Stiles? Stiles, his mate. Derek wanted to tell him that it was an absurd. Derek wanted to tell Stiles that he had been waiting for him his whole life without knowing it. He wanted to tell him he was the person with whom he had dreamed through the night without remember it in the morning. He wanted to say that was Stiles, and Stiles alone, who had the power to break him or save him.

"Never." He said instead.

Stiles was silent and looked at Derek with a raised eyebrow.

"Why?" Stiles asked confused. "Not that I'm complaining of your hospitality, but I don't understand. You seem to be big and scary ... but you doesn't seem... bad. Sorry, I haven't met many werewolves to compare, but shouldn't you be chewing my bones by now?"

"Chewing your bones?" Derek asked with a raised eyebrow, obviously surprised by Stiles' disappointment.

"Yeah, like, come on." He pointed to his red hoodie.

"Seriously? Did you just compare me to a character in a fairy tale?"

"I'm serious." Stiles looked offended. "Why are you taking care of me?"

Derek took a deep breath.

"I. .." Derek tried to say, but he just could not find the words. "It's complicated."

"You already said that." Stiles pointed.

"Because it is, believe me."

"Try me." Stiles insisted.

Derek growled in frustration. He could not just say to the boy that the two were mates, true mates. They did not even know each other, They had met last night, and not in the best of circumstances. But then, he did not seem disturbed by the fact that Derek was a werewolf. Maybe the kid was also feeling that there was something between them. Any sane person would have had a nervous breakdown at this point. Perhaps, as Derek felt calm near Stiles, the boy also felt calm and safe in his presence.

"That's a werewolf thing. I feel the need to protect." He said.

"Any human?"

"No. Only you."

"For no reason?" Stiles asked suspiciously.

"Oh, there's a reason." Derek said with heavy tone and Stiles gave him a curious look. "You are my mate." Derek said again and braced himself for Stiles's reaction.

This time, Stiles gasped and seemed genuinely surprised by the words of Derek.

"What did you mean by 'mate'?" Stiles stammered. Derek growled, stood up and walked away from the boy. "You mean 'mates' like on Discovery Channel, like those birds who have just one partner for life? You are not suggesting that we..." Stiles lokked at him with wide eyes. "Oh my God, did you..."

"Of course not!" Derek said offended. "I would never do anything without you consent, what do you think I am?" he snarled "You're a pup, i mean, you're a child!" He ran his hand through his hair. "Usually this happens between us werewolves, but you are human and I don't know what to do. I didn't plan anything."

"Why me?" Stiles suddenly asked in a low voice. "I mean, you could have chosen anyone ..."

"No! My Wolf had chose you."

"Your Wolf?"

"Yes, my ... nevermind. The problem is that all my instincts are telling me that you are the most important thing in this world and I have to be near you, whether you like it or not."

Stiles seemed to think about it for a moment.

"So that means we're boyfriends?"

Derek looked into the boy's eyes and couldn't help but notice how they shone with hope.


End file.
